Wire connector



Nov. 20, 1951 c WALSH 2,576,055

WIRE CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 23, 1950 Fig. 4.

LVVENTUR.

WAKMM Patentecl Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE CONNECTOR 1 Carroll H. Walsh, Pine BlufL'Ark.

Application' February 23, 1950, Serial No. 145,653

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in electricalconnectors' of the split or bifurcated bolt type-this type of connector being now quite commonly used for electrically'connecting conductors or wires.

"Connectors as above-designated include generally ahead witha pair of parallel and segmentally threaded legs extended therefrom in spaced relation to providea wire receiving space or slot therebetween, a nut'threadedly engaged with the legs, and a spacer movable with the nut threaded legs for commercial manufacture, presently available split bolt connectors areeasil-y damaged by deformation of: the body when tightened to'lock the conductors in good electrical connection. Such deformation'usually results in damage to the threads of the segmentally thread- .ed legs, so that the connector cannot be reused if it'canbe removed from the conductors, and'the latter operation may be very difiicult, or impossible without such damage to the connector as to preclude its further use.

,It is the prime object of the present invention to provide a connector of the split bolt type in which the movements of the elements resulting from the tightening of the nut thereof to fasten the conductors in the slot will resist the undesired deformation heretofore mentioned. Such a.con-

.tages in view as may appear in the description to follow, my invention resides in the novel shape andarrangement of the cooperating parts which constitutethe connector, a preferred embodiment of whichis shownby the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 isan elevation, of the connector, as em- :ployed for connecting apair of laterally adjacent conductors; Fig. 2 is a view of the connector taken along the line 22 ofFig. 1, and shown partly in sectionyFigl 3 is a section taken along the line 33o f Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view .-illustrating the device when untightened; and

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 ofFig. 4.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, at H) is indicated a substantially U-shaped member forming the body of theconnectorywhich has the parallel legs 5 l of segmental cross section, the legs beingexteriorly threaded. An interiorly threaded nut l8 threadedly' engages the legs ll, androtatably supports the spacer l2. Thecentralportion of the spacer l2 has a'width slightly less than the bore of the'nut l8, and is free to move in the space between the legs I l. At its upper end, the spacer-'12 (Fig. 4) is provided with the portion 15 extended outwardly over the nut 18, and at its lower end, with the portions 18 outwardly bent under the nut 18, the spacer and nut being thus fastened together and removable from the U-shaped member H! as a unitary structure.

The'parallel inner sides of the legs llareprovided'with a row of longitudinally extending al- .ternate'grooves and'ridges l4, arranged to register, when the nut 48 isuntightened, with the similar grooves. and ridges l3'formed on the op- :posing' sides of .thespacer l2, as shown inFig. 5. .Inaddition, the arcuate groove l1,'Vshape in section and eccentricwith respect to the bore of the nut 18, extends upwardly into the lower surface of the portion 15 of the spacer l2. When the nut l 8 is untightened, the upwardly and coaxially extendingridge l9 around the upper surface of the nut l8, extends only slightly'into the eccentric groove l1.

Assuming. that the elements of the device were in .the'unstressed positions shown in Figs. 4 and5, and .that the vnut l8 has subsequently been rotated to firmlyclamp'the conductors 20 between the head of the U-bolt liland the spacer 12, the elements of the device are found to have taken thepositions shown in Figs. 2 and'3. In so doing, the V-shaped circular ridge l9 has further entered the V-shapedeccentric groove 1?, thereby'moving the spacer l2 laterally along the sloped surfaces of the grooves Mon the inner sides of the legs ll. The lateralmovement of the spacer I2 is caused by the camming action-resulting'from the initial'non-coaxial engagement of the ridge I9 of the'nut IS with the groove ll of the spacer l2. After the spacer l2 has been moved endwise by turning the nut l8 until the conductors 23 are clamped together, continuation of the turning of the nut [8 in the same. directioncauses the righthand surface of the ridge ill to further slide along the right-hand surface of the groove 11, as viewed in Fig. thus forcing the spacer 22 to move to the right. In so'doing, the spacer I2 in turnmusit slide along the right-hand surfaces of the originally respectively aligned ridges l3 of the spacer l2 and the grooves M on the inner sides of the le s I l. The latter movement of the spacer I2 forces the legs II apart, as may be necessary to assure full thread engagement of the cooperating threads on the outer surfaces of the legs H and the nut l8, and effectively resists any tendency to deform such threads because of the necessary manufacturing tolerance between these members.

I have found that connectors built in accordance with my invention herein will permit an increase of 30% more inch-pounds to be applied to the nut in tightening than is possible with connectors not having the improvements herein described, with the same reusability of the connectors. In addition, the construction herein, because of the application of favorably directed stresses of higher magnitude, is much less susceptible to loosening from vibration of the conductors in service position.

Although the invention has herein'been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as the invention may be variously embodied.

I claim:

1. In a wire connector of the split-bolt type having a bifurcated bolt providing a wire receiving slot opening out through one end and forming two segmentally and exteriorly threaded legs the inner surfaces of which extend in substantially parallel relationship, a nut threaded upon the legs of said bolt over the slot thereof, and a spacer positioned in the orifice of the nut for rotation about the axis of the orifice and formed to slide along the slotas the nut is rtated therealong, means including integral portions of said spacer which extend outwardly over the upper surface of said nut for fastening said spacer to said nut, arcuate grooves eccentric with respect to said nut extending upwardly into said portions from the lower surface thereof, a circular ridge formed on the upper surface of said nut concentric therewith and disposed in alignment with one side only of each of said arcuate grooves and to enter said grooves in alignment therewith only in response to lateral shift of said spacer, a row of parallel and longitudinally extending grooves formed in the inner surfaces of said legs and a row of matching ridges formed on the opposing outer surfaces of said spacer normally aligned with said grooves, said circular ridge aligning with said arcuate grooves and said matching ridges moving laterally to misalignment with the associated grooves when said nut is tightened to engage said spacer with conductors positioned in said slot.

2. The combination with a wire connector of the split-bolt type havinga bifurcated bolt providing a wire receiving slot opening out through one, end and forming two segmentally and exteriorly threaded legs the inner surfaces of which extend in a substantially parallel relationship, a nut threaded upon the legs of said bolt over the slot thereof, and a spacer anchored in the orifice and formed to slide along the slot as the nut is rotated therealong, of means including integral portions of said spacer for anchoring said nut thereto, arcuate grooves eccentric with respect to said nut extending upwardly into said portions from the lower surface thereof, a circular ridge formed on the upper surface of said nut concentric therewith and disposed to align with one side only of each of said arcuate grooves and to; enter said grooves in alignment therewith' only 4 in response to lateral shift of said spacer, a row of parallel and longitudinally extending grooves formed in the inner surfaces of said legs and a row of matching ridges formed on the opposing outer surfaces of said spacer normally aligned with said grooves, said circular ridge moving into said arcuate grooves and causing said matching ridges to move sidewise to misalignment with the associated grooves when said spacer is restrained against longitudinal motion and said nut is tightened thereagainst.

3. The combination with a wire connector of the split-bolt type having a bifurcated bolt providing a wire receiving slot opening out through one end and forming two segmentally and exteriorly threaded legs the inner surfaces of which extend in substantially parallel relationship, a nut threaded upon the legs of said bolt over the slot thereof, and a spacer fastened in the orifice of the nut for rotation about the axis of the orifice and formed to slide along the slot as'the nut is rotated therealong, of means including integral portions of said spacer which extend outwardly over the upper surface of said nut for fastening said spacer thereto, arcuate grooves of inverted V-shape eccentric with respect to said nut extending upwardly into said portions from the lower surface thereof, a circular inverted V-shaped ridge formed on the upper surface of said nut concentric therewith and disposed to align with a portion of one side only of each of said arcuate grooves and to enter said grooves in alignment therewith only in response to lateral shift of said spacer, a row of parallel and longitudinally extending V-shaped grooves formed in the inner surfaces of said legs and a row of matching ridges formed on the. opposing outer surfaces of said spacer normally registering with said grooves, said circula ridge aligning with said arcuate grooves and said matching ridges moving laterally to misalignment with the associated grooves when said nut is tightened to engage said spacer with conductors in said slot.

4. The combination with a wire connector of the split-bolt type having a bifurcated bolt providing a conductor-receiving slot opening out through one end and forming two segmentally and exteriorly threaded legs the inner surfaces of which extend in substantially parallel relationship, a nut threaded upon the legs of said bolt over the slot thereof, and a spacer fastened in the orifice of the nut for rotation about the axis of the orifice and formed to slide along the slot as the nut is rotated therealong, of means including integral portions of said spacer which ex tend outwardly over the upper surface of said nut for fastening, said spacer thereto, arcuate grooves of inverted V-shape eccentric with respect to said nut extending upwardly into said portions from the lower surface thereof, a circular inverted V-shaped ridge formed on the upper surface of said nut concentric therewith and disposed to align with a portion of one side only of each of said arcuate grooves and to enter said grooves in alignment therewith only in response to lateral shift of said spacer, a row of parallel and longitudinally extending V-shaped grooves formed in the inner surface of at least one of said legs and a row of matching ridges formed on the adjacent surface of said spacer and normally registering with said grooves, said circular ridge moving inwardly intosaid arcuate grooves and causing said matching ridges to move laterally out of registration with said longitudinal grooves when said nut is tightened to engage said spacer with conductors in said slot.

5. In a wire connector of the split-bolt type, a nut threaded exteriorly over the slot of said bolt, a spacer rotatably mounted on said nut for movement along said slot with said nut, said spacer having outwardly extending portions extended over the upper surface of said nut, mutually engageable sloping surfaces formed respectively along the lower surfaces of said outwardly extending portions and along the upper surface of said nut, said nut cooperating with said spacer to urge said spacer laterally through engagement of the respective sloping surfaces when said spacer is restrained from endwise movement along said slot, and mutually engageable sloped surfaces formed respectively along the inner surface of said slot and the adjacent surface of said spacer, said last-named surfaces engaging in pressure relationship in response to the lateral movement of said spacer.

CARROLL H. WALSH.

No references cited. 

